Tales O9f The Enchanted Islands Of The Atlantic

Reproduction of the original: Tales o9f the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic by Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Reproduction of the original.

In all ages and with all sea-going races there has always been something especially fascinating about an island amid the ocean. Its very existence has for all explorers an air of magic. An island offers to us heights rising from depths; it exhibits that which is most fixed beside that which is most changeable, the fertile beside the barren, and safety after danger. The ocean forever tends to encroach on the island, the island upon the ocean. They exist side by side, friends yet enemies. The island signifies safety in calm, and yet danger in storm; in a tempest the sailor rejoices that he is not near it; even if previously bound for it, he puts about and steers for the open sea. Often if he seeks it he cannot reach it. The present writer spent a winter on the island of Fayal, and saw in a storm a full-rigged ship drift through the harbour disabled, having lost her anchors; and it was a week before she again made the port. The order of the tales in the present work follows roughly the order of development, giving first the legends which kept near the European shore, and then those which, like St. Brandan's or Antillia, were assigned to the open sea or, like Norumbega or the Isle of Demons, to the very coast of America. Every tale in this book bears reference to some actual legend, followed more or less closely, and the authorities for each will be found carefully given in the appendix for such readers as may care to follow the subject farther. It must be remembered that some of these imaginary islands actually remained on the charts of the British admiralty until within a century. If even the exact science of geographers retained them thus long, surely romance should embalm them forever.

These tales have been gathered for more than a thousand years about the islands of the North Atlantic. In all ages and with all sea-going races there has always been something especially fascinating about an island amid the ocean. Its very existence has for all explorers an air of magic. To seafarers an island offers safety after the danger of the open sea. The 20 tales about these enchanted islands of the North Atlantic are: The Story of Atlantis Taliessin of the Radiant Brow The Swan-Children of Lir Usheen in the Island of Youth Bran the Blessed The Castle of the Active Door Merlin the Enchanter Sir Lancelot of the Lake The Half-Man King Arthur at Avalon Maelduin's Voyage The Voyage of St. Brandan Kirwan's Search for Hy-Brasail The Isle of Satan's Hand Antillia, the Island of the Seven Cities Harald the Viking The Search for Norumbega The Guardians of the St. Lawrence The Island of Demons Bimini and the Fountain of Youth Once you set foot on such an island and you can begin to understand the legends of enchantment which the ages have collected around such spots. Climb to the heights of Glastonbury Tor and gaze westwards, and you look out over the Bristol Channel, you can imagine yourself to be at the masthead of some lonely vessel, kept forever at sea. You feel as if no one but yourself has ever landed there; and yet, perhaps, even there, looking straight downward, you can imagine you see below you in some crevice of the rock, a mast or spar of some wrecked vessel, encrusted with all manner of shells and barnacles. So, we invite you to curl up with these ancient legends not seen in print for many-a-year; and immerse yourself in the tales and fables of yesteryear. YEATERDAY'S BOOKS for TODAY'S CHARITIES ---------------------------- TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, fables, Story of Atlantis, Taliessin, Radiant Brow, Swan-Children, Lir, Usheen, Oisin, Island of Youth, Bran the Blessed, Castle, Active Door, Merlin, Enchanter, Enchanted, North, Atlantic, Sir Lancelot, Lake, Half-Man, King Arthur, Avalon, Glastonbury tor, Maelduin's Voyage, St. Brandan, St. Brendan, Kirwan's Search, Hy-Brasail, Isle, Satan's Hand, Antillia, Island of Seven Cities, Harald, Viking, Norumbega, Guardians, St. Lawrence, Island of Demons, Bimini, Fountain of Youth

In times past there were enchanted islands in the Atlantic, islands of demons, islands which appeared and disappeared mysteriously, islands about which weird legends hovered and whose heroes were Taliessin of the Radiant Brow, the Swan-children of Lir, St. Brandan, Harald the viking and others.